10 Things I Want to Do This Summer!

I love linky parties. They give me something to write about and I get to meet and learn about new people. Plus they take my mind off of other life happenings, haha! Erica over at Midwesternita is having a link-up to write like a first grade and give your top ten list of 10 things you want to do this summer. I love summer, so this should be easy!! ;)

1. Buy a house. We currently have two prospects: one we love for the backyard, one we love for the house, both somewhat close to where we live now and where I'll be working next year. We've been renting for the past 5 years and the owners are declaring bankruptcy...so we have to be out of our house by June 6. While this has been an emotional roller coaster, my hubby and I can't wait until we have our very own home!!

2. Meet my son. I started my third trimester today!! Only 12 more weeks until we get to meet the little guy... which means that I'm definitely ready for that #1 on my list to happen sooner rather than later so I can start nesting and getting the nursery ready. My first shower is next Wednesday at school so I'm really really excited!!!

3. Take a babymoon. With a baby on the way and purchasing a new home, I seriously doubt I'll be able to scratch this one of my list... but Erica's stipulations were to list dreams and ideas we'd love to do if we could. I would love to do this one if we could. Ordinarily, I'd says that I'd love to travel to a beach, but I'm really leery of bathing suits right now. Everyone keeps telling me I look great, but I feel like I have a huge beach ball shoved under my skin. New Orleans is top on my list, mostly because I absolutely love that city and it's culture and I'm not sure when I'd ever be able to truly enjoy the history of it other than now since I'm preggers and we'd have to visit somewhere other than Bourban Street. Haha!! ;)

4. Go furniture shopping. This may sound a little crazy, but I really want some new furniture to go with our new house. This will literally be our very first house and I want some furniture that screams US when people visit. We have been able to buy couches, 2 new TV's, and a washer and dryer set in the 5 years we've lived here. I think it's time for coffee tables, matching bedroom furniture, and a KING sized bed!!! :)

5. Cherish time with my husband. This will literally be the last summer that it will be "just the two of us"... I want to take as much advantage of this as I can and I really don't care what we do! If we can scrape out the time, I'd love to take a couple weekend trips - Austin, Guene, San Antonio, and Fredericksburg are all within a close driving distance and have lots of fun things to do! I can't imagine my life without my best friend in it. I'm so lucky and I can't wait for our little twosome to become a threesome. :)

6. Celebrate 5 magical years with my best friend. I can't believe it's been 5 years since we got married. Seriously. It's gone so fast! What's even more amazing is that he's been one of my best friends for 11 years now, and my number one best friend for 8. I feel so blessed to be able to say that about my husband. We won't be able to do a lot for our anniversary since it will be the day after the last day of school (and I'll probably be in a pregnancy coma sleeping off the last week of school) and we will also be getting our life out of our house - remember that June 6 deadline to be out of the house? Our anniversary is June 4.

7. Get some sun. I'm so stinkin' pasty white right now!! I won't lie: during the summer, I literally live for time at the beach, being on a boat on some body of water, or floating down the river. This summer is going to be very different for me, but luckily my mother has a pool so I can veg out on a float any time I want once school gets out! YES!

8. Host a family gathering at our new house. This might not be until Liam makes his appearance in late July/early August, but I can't wait to have the family over to our house!! I love hosting things with family and friends, but it adds a whole new element of excitement when I know that this will be our house! Our first house! {Can you tell I'm super crazy excited?!?} Hey, maybe 4th of July since we clearly won't be going to the river for our usual annual excursion?!

9. Catch up on reading and movies. Yeah, this one probably seems pretty boring. But seeing as how it gets to be in the 100's here in Texas in the summer and I'm officially in my 3rd trimester... I need activities that involve air conditioning. Lots of cold, cold air. If you have any books to recommend, send them my way! I have a list going already, but I have at least two months to kill and I read fast. ;) I'm the most excited about Harry Potter, but I'm not going to complain about the new Winnie-the-Pooh, Transformers, Pirates (seeing that one Sunday!), Green Lantern (hellll-o Ryan Reynolds!!!), The Hangover 2, Friends with Benefits, Midnight in Paris, Kung Fu Panda 2, Cars 2, and The Smurfs!!! Yes, I really do want to see all of those movies. I mean, I picked what appears to be an awesome summer to be laid up. ;)

10. Cherish my summer! As a teacher, this is the biggest privelege we get. Yes, I still work some over the summer but this is when I unwind, focus on my personal life which somehow gets pushed aside 9-10 months of the year and enjoy all the things that make me Monique, not Mrs. Brasher. :)

OK, so I just thought of one more, so I have to make this my 11 Things I want to ... list. Oops. :)

11. Write. I have this deep seeded wish and desire to become a best-selling novelist. I've wanted this since I was in like 4th grade, no lie. I have visions of sitting on a porch overlooking some ancient Southern Oaks draped in spanish moss listening to cicadas on a summer evening, sipping sweet tea, and penning my latest work. Or, it could be on porch overlooking glistening water while the sun is setting against the horizon... I'm OK with that too. Either way, I'm pursuing my dreams. I have a book I've been working on literally since I was 18 that I still haven't finished... and I'd really like to delve in and work on it. Maybe even finish it. I've learned a lot since I started that book and I really feel like my experiences would add some amazing dimensions to it... sorry, rambling. Anyways, I'd really love to work on my writing! :)

Now I'm done!! :) Go link up here!!